Warrior - Ke$ha

Recently, I had a mini-rave about Ke$ha's debut album, Animal. Having received a £30.00 Itunes voucher for Christmas (thanks Dad), I decided to start crossing off CDs from my wishlist.

 

I had a splurge, and bought:

No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom (oldie but a goldie)

Linkin Park - Meteora (one of my favourite albums from one of my favourite bands)

Fun - Some Nights (seeing them in April, exciteeeed)

 

and, of course, Ke$ha's Warrior. It's not super new, released on 30th November 2012, but after my excessive listening of Animal, I thought it would be worth it. The second single, C'mon, has only just been released, the first being Die Young, which my housemates and I love.

 

Overall rating: ***

 

Best song: I really can't decide between Thinking Of You, Die Young and Only Wanna Dance With You.

 

Worst song: Dirty Love with Iggy Pop. It's just rubbish! No offence Ke$ha, I love you.

Not as good as her first album, but definately worth buying. Any album is worth buying if the lyrics include genius lines such as "I'm over it/So suck my dick"; Ke$ha definately has a therapeutic and rather original way of writing about ex-boyfriends. Catchy songs, perfect for getting ready to go out to, although Wonderland and Love Into The Light are less popped up and more thoughtful.


I've just gone back to Uni so things are mental, I've finished applying for my master's in Canada, I have a new boyfriend who lives in France (I went on an adFRENCHure last week which was super fun - I went karting, which is terrifying), and I have 11 weeks to finish my dissertation. But I will endeavour to write once a week. Back on the clean eating too.

xxxx

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a fun-filled New Year's Eve and didn't have a horrific hangover the following day. I feel very smug about the fact I did not have a hangover - responsible drinking f-yeah!

 

This year, I don't have resolutions, I have aims (even though my housemate cruelly recommended I resolve to wash my hair more because of this one time I didn't wash it for a week).

 

• Continue clean eating; I found this really worked for weight and fat loss, my skin was a lot better and my sugar cravings were drastically reduced. So I'd like to clean-eat for at least five days a week.

 

• Run another half-marathon; as I mentioned before, I ran my first one in October. My running partner and I are thinking about Reading Half in March.

 

• Reduce body fat to 18%; the last time I was measured it was 25%. My trainer and I have decided 18% would be a good, and more importantly healthy, aim.

 

I would put a few horse-riding aims up, but given 2012 I've learnt that I really, truly cannot control everything. There are a couple of competitions in February and March I would love to do, and if Ernest is fit and well then I'll enter them. They're called Combined Training, which involves doing a dressage test and jumping a showjumping round. We won one back in 2008 with a crackin' score of 74% in the Dressage. Obviously I have no aims to win, it would just be great to compete!

 

I also graduate this year, and am aiming for a first, but I think realistically I'm not going to get one. I haven't mentioned it before, but I'm doing a Single Honours English degree. I really enjoy it, and the University of Winchester has some fantastic lecturers in the Arts Faculty, although one of my favourites is on a research sabbatical this coming semester :(

Thankfully, my other favourite lecturer is my dissertation supervisor. Whom I will be seeing a lot of over the coming couple of months (have I used 'whom' correctly? Embarrassing if I haven't....)!!

 

Do you have any resolutions or aims for 2013?

xxxxxxx

 

PS - I'm going to make some changes to my blog and it's appearance over the next couple of weeks, so I apologise if it looks a bit scruffy for a while! I'm going to broaden my writing scope to more general topics, including book/film/music reviews, and maybe some fashion. Fitness will still feature a lot, but I have a lot to say on everything and I can do it here ;)

Boxing Day run

Happy Boxing Day!

 

Following on from yesterday's post, I decided to stop being a wussy and went for a three-mile run around the village. It's one of the routes I used when I was training for the half.

 

Today felt like a mini achievement as I haven't run since November, and as I've mentioned before, knowing I've run a half marathon definately helps motivation. It took 29 minutes, so just under 10 minutes per mile. That's quite slow for me, but I think I sped up/slowed down more than normal rather than keeping a constant pace.

 

I've recently uploaded a lot of music on to my Ipod, and I find a cracking playlist also helps motivation. Today's was as follows:

 

Hit That Gash - Rouge A Levres VS Foreign Beggars. This is such a catchy song, although the lyrics are quite crude. Rapping sounds a lot cooler in French.

 

Your Love Is My Drug - Ke$ha. Not a new song but I've recently heard her Animal album and I am impressed; mostly what I call 'club tunes' but some funny and more emotionally-led songs as well. A good album to put on if you're going on a night out!

 

Don't You Worry Child - Swedish House Mafia ft. John Martin.

 

Don't Wake Me Up - Chris Brown. I'm guessing he doesn't like to be woken up, up, up, up, up up.

 

Spectrum (Say My Name) [Calvin Harris remix] - Florence + The Machine.

 

Time Bomb - All Time Low. I've recently gotten into All Time Low, and this is my favourite song off their 'Dirty Work' album. I can't decide if I prefer this or the acoustic version.

 

It's Like That - Run DMC. Classic.

 

Dirty Picture p.2 - Ke$ha ft. Taio Cruz.

 

Sorry For Party Rocking - LMFAO.

 

My personal motto for running with headphones in is to only use them when I'm running on pavements/cross country, as I feel a lot more aware without them when I'm primarily running on roads.

 

xxxx

Top 5: "Reasons" For Not Exercising

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone is having/had a lovely day and received lots of presents. I know I did! Spoilt bear.

As the stresses of Semester 1 fade away, I thought I'd address something that has probably been the real reason I haven't posted; I haven't exercised very much since November, thus I've had not a lot to write about! So today I thought I'd post a funny one, addressing the 5 key "reasons", also known as excuses, for sacking off exercise.

Excuse 1: "I'm tired"

This is probably the most-used and I am very guilty. Unless hallucinations are happening, you are probably fine. Exercise is supposed to energize, so you can only feel better after.... maybe?

Excuse 2: "I'm ill"

If you are not comatosed in bed with illness, you are definately capable of exercising! My favourites are self-diagnosed illnesses, such as the flu or chest infections, or illnesses which start as a snuffle or cough and magically develop overnight into Spanish flu or bronchitus. If you're not on anti-biotics, I am betting it is not that bad. Wussy.

Excuse 3: "I'm busy"

This and tiredness are my two worst excuses. Organisation is key here, and if you (by 'you' I mean me) cut the amount of time faffing around procrastinating from essays (watching TV, talking to housemates, tidying my room, scouring ASOS's dress section) I'm sure I could find 30 minutes a day to bust a (bicep) move.

Excuse 4: "My favourite sports bra is in the wash"

I really can't justify this, but I've have used this before. Oh, the shame....

Excuse 5: "I don't like exercise"

Oh no you di-dent. You, my friend, are doing the wrong kind! Don't like running? Don't run. Don't like swimming? Don't swim. Don't like free weights? Ha ha, every body likes free weights. But seriously, there are so many different types of cardio and toning exercises that you will surely find something you enjoy. I used to hate working out my legs, but I gained a trainer and a world of legs-ercises was revealed to me. Change it up; if you really hate the gym, don't go, but make the effort to find something you do enjoy. Excuse eliminated!

Tomorrow I'm going to attempt my 3 mile running route in under 30 minutes and take my stallion for a ride. We did get out for our Christmas Day ride after all :)

I've got my first gym session in about 4 weeks on Saturday, which I'm really looking forward to, so I'll either post a lengthier update at the end of the week or post little ones throughout the week on my exercise exploits.

xxxxx

Hello stranger....

Hello, so I'm the worst blogger ever. In my defence, it has been off-the-wall crazy busy since I last posted, but most of it has actually been on the interesting side of life, so here are my top 4 things I've been doing since 17th November......

 

1.

I went for my first run with Mark (running buddy) since the half marathon. We managed 4.5/5 miles in 40 minutes! It felt wonderful. I don't think I need to point out that I haven't run since... I've drawn up a rough draft of my study timetable over Christmas, and I've fit in 2 runs a week. Mark and I are planning to enter the Reading Half Marathon in March.

 

2.

Ernest and I went to our first competition since November 2011! I may or may not have mentioned that he fractured his leg in January, this year, and it's been a steady and progressive road back to normality. It was really exciting to be out again. We did Prelim 12 and Prelim 15, getting 64.80% and 61.something% respectively.

 

3.

Clean eating has been going O.K - I managed 15 days last month out of 30. This month hasn't been great so far, however my eating habits have changed for the better. Even if I'm not having a clean day, this still only means that I'll eat clean then go out for a meal in the evening. I haven't seen my trainer recently because she went on holiday for 2 weeks, and I can't get to the gym until the 20th, but I'm sure I've lost body fat; half an inch from my waist and half an inch from my hips.

 

4.

Between Christmas and New Year, I'm doing a house check for a potential hound owner! I'm pleased to be involved with my favourite charity again - Wimbledon Greyhound Welfare.

 

 

In more rubbish news, Ernest had a brief visit to hospital from Saturday to Wednesday as a result of being kicked. The worry was that the kicks were over his joints, on the leg which was fractured in January, however there is no infection. There is bruising on one ligament but he only needs box resting for two weeks; hopefully I'll be able to ride on Christmas Day, as is tradition.

 

I'd better go, I have two assignments due in next Tuesday; a 3500 extended essay on Women's Writing in the 18th Century and 2000 words on Literature of Sexuality: In Search of the Normal.

 

xxxxxxx

 

 

New PT Workout: #1

As promised, albeit late, here is the gym workout I had been following when I started the blog. As I can't fit a cable machine in my Uni room, I have put the modifications for a home workout in pink. Not for any specific reason, I just like pink.

I do now have a new workout, so will post that up soon; my second attempt at it is on Monday, at the gym with trainer.

I originally started training with Michelle for the half marathon, so the workouts prior to this were very leg and core-focused; now, they are entire body workouts:

Warm-up: treadmill hill run/sprint - 10 minutes

As I don't normally warm up at home, I wouldn't do anything.

I then do 3 sets of the following exercises:

Barbell high pull - 10 kg 12 reps

I don't own barbells so I use two 5kg weights.

Bulgarian split squat - 20 reps

These are the absolute bane of my life but they are so effective and really easy to do at home, assuming you own at least one chair in the entireity of your abode!

Bosu press ups - 12 reps

I don't own a bosu so I do the easier version of a normal press up (I'm building up to do the full version!).

TRX hip raise and leg curl - 12 reps

I use my swiss ball for these.

Seated cable row with rope - 3 plates 12 reps

I replace these with bent over rows, which I hate doing and I don't know why....

Cross body step ups - 20 reps

I do these on the stairs.

I really didn't feel like these were doing anything, until the next day I had very achy inner-leg muscles!

Dips on bench - 12 reps

A chair replaces the bench.

DB lateral raises - 2kg 12 reps

Plank on TRX - 30 seconds

I just do the plank as normal.

I do it either on my elbows or up on my hands; hands is supposed to be harder but I don't find this so?

Lying swiss ball Russian twist - 12 reps

These are so hard and effective. I would recommend practising these and including them in your workout regularly.

TRX crunches - 15 reps

Crunches as normal.

Alternate supermans - 20 reps

It's important to work the lower back muscles too!

Warm down: Cycle for 5 minutes and streeeeeeetch.

THIS WORKOUT WAS DESIGNED BY MICHELLE MAXWELL - YOUMEFIT.CO.UK :)

New Lululemon running trousers

OK so I have been a busy little bee since my return from America, but I meant to post this a while ago (on the 27th to be precise). Photos will be added of the glorious trousers...


Today I broke in my new violet Lululemon trousers. I only found out about the brand when I was in Canada last month, but everyone raved about it so I was eager to see what all the fuss was about. 

After paying $86, I had high expectations, for although they fit snugly and made my legs look nice and slim, I could get that effect with my £32 Marks and Spencer jeans. Or by wrapping cling film round my legs. 

As you can see, they have a mesh panel which absorbs the sweat from your knee crevice (cringe - what a horrible word) and a back pocket to fit in a small snack/energy tablets etc.

Today we did a similar route to Friday, except we ran further up the first hill on to the trails. So, not only was I breaking in my Lulu's, but I was on my first trail run! Life is wild. It was a bit like fartlek training, leaping and dodging my way around rocks and tree roots; it didn't feel like running, and although this part of the run must have been about a mile long, it went really quickly. I would definitely like to include more trail runs when I'm home.

We ran 5.42 miles in 52 minutes - around 9.5 minutes per mile. My trousers were very comfortable; they were snug but not tight, kept my legs warm without causing me to overheat, and didn't chafe anywhere. I would definitely buy more sportswear from Lululemon.

Pip xxx